Ferrule
Ferrule was a Seti and member of Dassem Ultor's retinue of bodyguards, known as his First Sword.Night of Knives, Chapter 4 His name came from the fact that blood usually ran from wherever he was fighting. In Night of Knives At the Malazan seige of Y'Ghatan, Ferrule was the only Sword left in a position to fight after Dassem and the First Swords' engagement with holy champion Surgen Ress. Dassem was left grievously wounded while Temper was injured to a lesser extent and the other Swords were killed. Afterwards, Ferrule and Temper faced the challenge of extracting Dassem from the Claws, who under Laseen's command almost certainly wanted to dispose of Dassem as a political rival. Ferrule was instrumental in the trio's escape, fighting off several Claw assassins and receiving several wounds.Night of Knives, Chapter 4 After their escape after the fall of Y'Ghatan, Ferrule, Temper, and Dassem Ultor quietly disappeared and traveled together for a while before eventually going their separate ways.Night of Knives, Chapter 4, UK HB p.175/176 In Return of the Crimson Guard Ferrule reappeared among the Seti on Quon Tali as the "Wildman". He was a bull of a man in layered ringed armour bearing a score of lances, javelins and two long-handled axes crossed over his back; long-knives sheathed at his hips. Under his blunt bronze helmet his scarred, sun-and wind-darkened features were those of a startlingly old man.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 6, US HC p.510 The Seti elders swore he resembled "The Boar" of their youth, who had been an unbeatable Seti champion before Dassem Ultor had taken him away. Wildman counseled the Seti not to become involved in the Malazan civil war because the Talian League only intended to use them for their own purposes.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 3, US HC p.547 He further denigrated the Seti warrior associations as "chains upon the mind and body" and called for all warriors to rally under him.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 3, US HC p.321-322 The Wildman was ultimately drawn to the Malazan side of the Battle of the Plains to make up for the the Seti shaman Imotan's betrayal of Toc the Elder.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 6, US HC p.510 After the League was defeated, Ferrule was reunited with Temper just in time for the Crimson Guard to confront the weakened Imperials. He and Temper faced five of the Avowed and Skinner, forcing Dassem to slip to their side and fight alongside them once again. While Dassem fought with Skinner, Ferrule and Temp defended his back against the other four Crimson Guardsmen. They successfully held them off until Dassem cut Skinner's throat forcing all of the Disavowed off the field. At the battle's end, Ferrule admitted to Temper that his true name was "Sweetgrass".Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 2, US HC p.620-622 Ferrule and Temper then joined Urko Crust, Amaron, and Braven Tooth to hunt the man-jackal Ryllandaras. Together with the magic of the seeress Liss they battled Ryllandaras to a bloody standstill until the Seguleh Rell appeared to deliver the killing blow, knocking the creature through a magic gate. Ferrule was sorely injured in the fight.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 5, UK PB p.679-686 Notes and references Category:Males Category:Seti Category:Soldiers Category:Bodyguards Category:Dassem's First Sword